The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]

Chapter 181

The Imperial Palace where the First Princess Resided.

The first princess had never married, but she still held her position.

As she sipped her tea, a maid bowed her head and spoke cautiously.

"The identity of the infiltrator within the Blood Grand temple order has been exposed."

"How many times has this happened? This time will pass like the others."

"There are reports of a large-scale purge being initiated."

At the maid’s words, Princess Wendy furrowed her brows.

"Suddenly?"

"They say Kane Rehinar has taken action."

"Why is he rooting out heretics only now, after remaining silent for so long?"

"It seems word of efforts to tarnish his reputation has reached him."

"Is that enough to make him move?"

"Kane Rehinar prioritizes his honor and that of the Rehinar name above all else. That’s why we had been working to diminish his reputation."

"This timing is far too coincidental. Why now, of all times?"

Her suspicion had a specific reason.

The Head of the Meyer Family.

The resurrection of Kesh Meyer– the Pope of Lycera Theocracy, and the First Star, was imminent.

Using forbidden magic, they had succeeded in summoning the soul of the one Kane had once killed.

The Blood Grand temple was both a cult of hell and life.

The blood priests within the temple order were essential for forbidden magic.

Thus, they infiltrated the Blood Grand temple to smuggle out the blood priests.

As a result, the resurrection of Kesh Meyer was at hand.

"Have you acquired the final ingredient?"

"We have placed 1,000 of the highest-grade blood mana stones on the altar."

"You go ahead first. I’ll fetch the Life Star(Tl/N: Purest form of mana crystal filled with Life mana) from the imperial treasury and meet you at the altar."

"I will ensure all preparations for the ritual are complete."

Wendy left the room and parted ways with the maid. She headed directly to the imperial treasury to retrieve the Life Star.

The knight guarding the treasury saluted her as she approached.

"We have been awaiting your arrival."

"Open it."

At her command, the knight unlocked the treasury with a golden key.

Clang.

The massive iron door groaned as it moved. Wendy quickly made her way to the deepest part of the treasury.

"Now, everything is ready."

As she picked up the Life Star, the treasury began to shake.

It was a security measure triggered by the presence of an unauthorized person.

However, Wendy was no ordinary individual. She was a powerful mage.

She Remained Unshaken and Cast Teleportation.

Flash!

Her body shimmered and disappeared in an instant.

Wendy reappeared on an isolated island in the middle of the sea, a place rarely touched by human presence.

On the deserted island, figures cloaked in robes adorned with sun emblems were gathered.

“Greetings, Bride of Divinity.”

“Proceed with the ritual.”

At her command, the Meyer Family priests sprang into action.

“You scoundrels! Are you not afraid of the heavens?”

“Release us at once!”

“Blood Duke will not let you—urgh!”

Slash!

The heads of the shouting blood priests rolled to the ground.

Drip, drip.

Blood soaked the floor.

The sacrifices were high-ranking priests of the Blood Grand temple. Their Blood Rune at the Fourth Stage: Blood Oath.

These blood priests, bearing the same insignia as High Priest Yoshua, were the Five Saints of the Blood Grand temple.

They traveled across lands, purging heretics and maintaining divine order.

Revered and holy, they worked from the heights of their ranks to protect the world.

Now, they had been captured and offered as sacrifices for a forbidden ritual.

The blood began to flow across the floor, sketching a crimson magic circle atop the altar stones.

A sinister aura emanated from the symbol.

“Ah, the time has finally come!”

“God shall return to us!”

The Meyer Family priests chanted with fervent hope and desire.

Wendy ascended the altar and shattered the Life Star.

Crack.

The fragments were absorbed into the altar.

As they vanished, the blood magic circle glowed an even more vivid red.

“Come forth, my lord.”

As her murmur ended, a crimson pillar of light surged skyward from the magic circle.

The once-clear sky turned blood-red, and a shadow began to descend slowly.

* * *

A young man with golden hair looked down at Wendy and spoke.

“Was it you who awakened me?”

His voice, resonating like a force that shook her very mind, echoed in Wendy’s ears.

Swallowing nervously, she nodded.

“Yes, I am the one who brought you back.”

“Why?”

At his question, Wendy replied.

“Because I am your bride.”

“The only woman destined for me is the Bride of Divinity.”

“The Bride of Divinity you await is me.”

The golden-haired man—Kesh Meyer, resurrected from death—gazed at Wendy intently.

“Show me the mark.”

Without hesitation, Wendy removed her outer garment.

On her back, just above her right shoulder blade, a tattoo of a sun appeared.

Kesh Meyer continued to observe the tattoo.

Then, something changed.

Above the sun mark, a moon emerged, glowing faintly.

“What you say is true.”

“Would I have gone to such lengths to revive you if I weren’t your bride?”

“It’s possible if you were someone seeking something from me.”

Wendy nodded in agreement.

Kesh Meyer possessed immense power.

A mortal who had once attempted to ascend to divinity, even his servants were regarded as formidable forces throughout the continent.

Such was the extent of his abilities.

“Do you now recognize me as your bride?”

“Indeed.”

Kesh Meyer suddenly grabbed Wendy by the back of her neck and kissed her.

From his lips, a divine energy flowed into Wendy, entering her body.

“We are now one.”

As he ended the kiss, Kesh Meyer addressed Wendy with deference.

The priests of the Meyer Family roared in approval.

“Congratulations on becoming his official bride!”

“Congratulations!”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Following this, praises for Kesh Meyer filled the air.

“We are infinitely grateful for your return to the world!”

The Meyer Family Priests Were Overwhelmed with Emotion.

Hot tears streamed down their faces.

When the First Star died, the Meyer Family faced brutal persecution, enduring wounds so severe that their entire lineage was nearly erased.

Yet, thanks to the secret seeds they had painstakingly hidden away, the Meyer Family could rise again from the shadows.

“Do you happen to know of Kane Rehinar?”

“I know him very well,” Wendy replied, her expression hardening with bitterness.

The reason she had become the Bride of Divinity was because of Kane Rehinar.

He had chosen her younger sister, Charlotte, as his bride rather than Wendy.

How humiliating a decision that was!

To pass over her, the elder sister, who remained unmarried, and instead choose Charlotte.

She could not bear it.

Her heart burned with the desire to destroy Kane Rehinar utterly.

Grinding her teeth, she spoke of Kane with seething resentment.

“It seems much has changed while I was gone.”

“Can you kill Kane for me?”

“It would be my pleasure. I, too, have a debt to settle with Kane,” Kesh Meyer said, his eyes glinting dangerously.

A menacing aura filled the deserted island.

Though he had just been resurrected, his overwhelming power remained intact. His killing intent was palpable, suffocating the entire island with its weight.

“I suppose it’s time to assemble my army,” Kesh declared, turning toward the Meyer Family priests. But before he could speak further, Wendy interjected.

“I have already prepared your army. Call upon them.”

Following her suggestion, Kesh summoned the Meyer Family’s hidden forces.

“My servants, arise from your slumber and heed the commands of the heavens!”

Boom!

The ground split apart as ominous corpses emerged, numbering in the thousands.

They continued to rise without end, filling the deserted island with their skeletal forms.

But these were no ordinary skeletons.

Their seemingly decrepit bodies became clad in an array of weapons and armor, each suited for battle.

Skeleton Soldiers of All Professions—Knights, Mages, and Priests Alike

The skeletons were equipped in various outfits representing a wide array of professions. Each emitted a formidable mana presence. These were no ordinary skeletons; all of them were of commander level.

It seemed their resurrection had made them even more powerful than they were when alive.

“Will you head straight for the Imperial Capital?” Wendy asked.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to trample through Rehinar along the way,” Kesh replied with a smirk.

“Allow me to guide you.”

Wendy volunteered to lead the way, intending to destroy the place of her birth, the Fresia Empire.

Before, she had moved solely to seek revenge on Kane Rehinar.

Now, she was utterly captivated by Kesh Meyer, willing to give up everything to serve him.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital…

Kane, clad in a hooded robe, quietly approached the royal palace.

“Halt!”

A guard blocked his way.

“This is the royal palace. You must identify yourself to enter.”

The guard’s tone was firm and commanding, almost to the point of arrogance.

Even a patient person would find it infuriating.

And the one standing before them was Kane.

“I am here to see His Majesty,” Kane stated.

“You think you can see the Emperor without identifying yourself?”

“It’s urgent.”

Kane slowly lifted his bowed head, revealing his deep, penetrating gaze.

“Ugh—!”

The guard instinctively gasped, his breath catching in his throat.

A wave of terror gripped his body.

Uncontrollable trembling overtook him, and his head dropped in submission without his consent.

“Stand aside.”

Kane strode between the guards, who were frozen in place, unable to move.

Their bodies refused to obey their commands.

It was only after Kane had disappeared into the palace that they collapsed to the ground, trembling and gasping for air.

"Wh-Who is that?"

"I have no idea…"

"More importantly, I think we’re screwed."

"H-Hurry! Inform the palace!"

The emergency alarm echoed through the halls.

This sound was only ever heard when an unauthorized outsider breached the imperial palace.

But such warnings were of no concern to him.

Kane’s ghostly movements bypassed every layer of security.

"An intruder!"

"Find them immediately!"

"Protect His Majesty first!"

The imperial knights mobilized with flawless coordination.

Surrounding the emperor, Isaac, were the Black Heaven Guards —no, now renamed the Dark River Imperial Guards.

"Your Majesty, it seems the palace’s defenses have been breached."

"Doesn’t this happen far too often?"

"We have no excuse, Your Majesty."

A shadow appeared in the grand hall where Isaac resided.

The Dark River Guard unsheathed their swords in unison.

"Who are you? State your identity!"

The figure, cloaked in a robe, removed his hood.

"I am here to greet Your Majesty."

Kane knelt gracefully, demonstrating proper etiquette.

"Kane! What brings you here?"

Isaac sprang to his feet, approaching Kane with urgency.

"Your Majesty, you must not move carelessly!"

"My brother has come all this way to see me. What’s there to worry about?"

Isaac, as always, was the same. His affection for Kane had not diminished in the slightest.

"My duties have been overwhelming, making it difficult to visit you," Isaac admitted.

"I understand."

"What brings the Blood Duke to the palace?"

"It seems remnants of the House of the Sun still persist."

"I thought we eradicated them completely ten years ago."

"So did I, but it appears they’ve been gathering strength in the shadows."

"Those cockroach-like fools. Are you saying the Meyer Family remnants are hiding here in the capital?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. They’re even within this palace."

"The audacity of these vermin. Commander!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Bring me the heads of these cockroaches immediately!"

"Your Majesty, please wait."

Kane raised a hand to stop Isaac.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]